Testing system



Oct. 26, 1954 W. B. sTRicKLER TESTING SYSTEM Filed Dec. l'

16 Sheets-Sheet Vl ./NVENTOR H. B. STR/CKLER AATTORNEY Oct. 26, 1954 w.B. sTRlcKLER TESTING SYSTEM 16 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 17, 1946 L TNW@QTL BU G /lvl/ENTOR W B. .STR/CKLER A TTORNEV Oct-26, 1954 w. B.sTRlcKLx-:R

TESTING SYSTEM 16`Sheet`s-Sheet Z5 Filed Dec. 17, 1946 HHH - /Nl/ENTORW' B. .STR/CKLER ATTORNEY Oct. 26, 1954 W, B, STRlCKLER 2,692,728

TESTING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 17, 1946 16 Sheets-Sheet 4 TIM/*ISLA TOI? W B.STR/C/(LER ATTORNEY Oct. 26, 1954 w. B. s'rRlcKLER 2,692,728

TESTING SYSTEM FIG. 6

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Oct. 26, 1954 w. B. s'rRlcKLER TESTING SYSTEM 16 Sheets-Sheet 7 FiledDec. l', 1946 #NVE/v Q By W B. .STR/CKLER QQ) J ATTORNEY Oct. 26, 1954w. B. sTRlcKLER TESTING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 17, 1946 16 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVE N TOR u! .sv- 5mm/LER ATTORNEY Oct. 26, 1.954 w. B. sTRlcKLER TESTINGSYSTEM 16 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Dec. 17, 1946 H .SS

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' NVENUR W B. STR/CKLER @Y v ATTORNEY Oct 26, 1954 I w. B. sTRlcKLERTESTING SYSTEM 16 Sheets-Sheet 10 /NvEA/mn' W B- STR/CKLER BV ATTORNEY AFilled Dec. l', 1946 Oct. Z6, 1954 w. B. sTRlcKLER TESTING SYSTEM 16Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed Dec. 17, 1946 N si n /Nf/EA/ron By W B. STR/CKLERATTORNEV OC- 26, 1954 w. B. sTRlcKLER 2,692,728

TESTING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 17, 1946 16 Sheets-Sheet 12 /A/VE/vron W BTR/CKLER Ii Irl-Y l ATURNEY Oct. 26, 1954 w. B. srRlcKLER 'TESTINGSYSTEM Filed Dec. l', 1946 l N VEN TOR ug STR/cla En ATTORNEY Oct 26,1954 w. B. sTRlcKLER TESTING SYSTEM Filed DeC. 17, 1946 16 Sheets-Sheet14 /Nl/ENTOR H. B. .STR/CKLER ATTO RNE V w. B.' lsvTRlcKLER 2,692,728

TESTING SYSTEM 16 Sheets-Sheet 15 Oct. 26, 1954 Filed De. 17, 1946 w. B.STRICKLER 2,692,728

TESTING SYSTEM 16 Sheets-Sheet 16 /NVENTOR w srR/c/r/ ER By Arm/mfrFiled Dec. l, 1946 Oct. 26, 1954 Patented Oct. 26, 1954 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE TESTING SYSTEM Walter B. Strickler, East Orange, N. J.,assignor to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y.,a corporation of New York Application December 17, 1946, Serial No.716,783

Another and more specific object of the inven tion is to provide meansfor testing an index to determine if a particular point therein hasVbeen reached and if not then in which direction it shall be moved inorder to reach such a point.

Further, an object of the invention is to provide means for moving tapesforwardly or backwardly `at high and slow speeds in order to reach` adesignated positionthereon.

The device includingr the present invention is a tape controlledelectrical calculator. Such a device employs a plurality of indices eachin the f form of a tape perforated with indicia representing and capableof translation into operational orders, numbers and other items of` information. Generally speaking such a calcuiator is controlled in itspattern of operations by one or more routine tapes having operationalorders indexed thereon, by a probiemdata .tape having the arguments of aproblem indexed therein, and a plurality of other problem data tapeshaving empirical data or known information such as that usually found intables such as tables of sines, tangentalOgarithms, ballisticcoeflicients, and so forth.

The data in all of these problem data tapes is indexed in 'so-calledblocks much as the data in tables is divided intopages of a book orunder a serially numbered arrangement for convenience in looking up arequired tem. Each block number in the present embodiment of theinvention consists of a three-digit number and these numbers areserially arranged. Therefore to arrive at a particularly Wanted item ofinformation it is necessary tomove the tape until such a particularblock number has been found. This is done broadly by calculation. Thewanted number is registered in one part of a` calculator and the blocknumbers onthe tapebeing scanned are compared thereto so that when oneis:sub

tracted from the other and a remainder of Zero is found it is` knownthat the particular item` 2 of information desired is at hand. If theremainder is other than zero, then the character of the remainder, thatis its positive or negative sign, will determine in which direction tofurther move the tape.

A feature of the invention is means for testing by calculation. An adderor summing device is employed to control three signal circuits one ofwhich willbecome effective when the sum of one r number and thecomplement of the number being tested is zero, a second which willbecome effective when such sum is other than Zero and is positive incharacter and a third which will become effective when such `sum isother than Zero y and is negative in character.

As in prior calculating devices there are pro vided carry in and carryout paths for each decimal denominational order. Since in thesecalculators the nines complement of a number is far easier to handlethan the true or tens cornplement, the fugitive one must be reckoned inthe calculation. This means that when the nines complement of a numberis added to another number a one must be added to the result in order togive a true and accurate result. Therefore a carry in one circuit isprovided, leading into the extreme right-hand decimal denomi nationalorder whereby a one is automatically reckoned into the sum of the valuesin the augend andv addend elements of the adder. Thus if it is desiredto find a block numbered 183, this number is registered in the augendelement and the nines complement of the block numbers being tested areregistered in the addend element. When the block number 183 has beenfound the sum will appear as Augend 183 Carry in 1 Addend 816 the ninescomplement of 183 Sum 1000 The one in the thousands place of the sumbecomes in actual practice a carry out one and may be used as a signalmeans. Thus this carry in one circuit is the means for adding in thefugitive one when the nines complement of a number is being added toanother number to automatically compensate for the error knowingly madeby the use of the nines complement.

Another feature of the invention is the use of a plurality of carry inleads each for reckonin-grin a diiferent value. Let us suppose that ablock number involved in a calculation is numbered 183. For the purposesof interpolation it 3 is desired to take items of information from someother tape from four blocks numbered 182, 188, 184 and 185,respectively. For this purpose the number 183 is established as anaugend and block 182 is tested by reckoning in a minus one. rIhus Augend183 Carry in -1 Addend 818 the complement of 182 Sum 1000 In actualpractice, however, since the fugitive one must be reckoned in, this sumwould appear as Augend 183 Carry in Addend 817 the nines complement of182 Sum 1000 Likewise if block 185 is to be tested then the sum wouldappear as Augend 183 Carry in 3 .Addend 814 the nines complement of 185Sum 1000 and a carry in three would have to be provided. While forpractical purposes in the speciiicembodiment of the present inventionthere are four carry in leads for automatically reckoning in #1, 0, 1and 2, the invention is not limited to such an arrangement but extendsto and comprehends the use of a. great number of carry in leads or theuse of a carry in lead for representing some specific number of one ormore digits in magnitude and of either positive or negative character.Another feature of the invention is therefore the use of negative carryin leads, that is leads which will reckon a negative number into asumming operation.

Speed in calculation is a desideratum and hence the movement of thetapes from one block number to another is of great importance. A featureof the invention is the provision of means for high speed movement oftapes combined with a means for reducing the speed of such movement as ablock number is approached. For this purpose the circuits are soarranged that the adder is rendered insensitive to numbers indexed in atape being thus moved at high speed. Other means are set to respond tocertain special signals which are recorded in the tape just prior to theblock numbers so that when such a signal is encountered the speed isreduced from a continuous high speed to a comparatively slow stepby-stepaction and the adder is rendered capable of responding to the codes thenencountered. A feature of the invention is means responsive to a specialsignal indicating that the wanted codes are at hand to reduce the speedand'render the testing means in the form of a calculator responsive tosuch codes. Another feature of the invention resides in the means forcausing the tape to move forwardly on a step-by-step basis to read offthe codes for the block number regardless of the direction in which thetape has been moving at Ihigh speed when such preparatory signal isencountered. The block numbers are always read off in one order so thatif the tape is moving backwardly then the block number will be passedover before the special signal is reached whereupon the speed isreduced, the direction of movement is reversed and the block numbertested. If the block number proves to be unsatisfactory the direction oftravel is again reversed (responsive to the calculated sign) and thehunt again taken up at high speed. Another feature of the invention istherefore means eifective while an index is moving in one direction tostop such movement and to start movement in the opposite direction toscan the indicia thereon.

Another feature of the invention is a means to blank out and render thestopping means unresponsive to the rst stop signal encountered if theresult of a, test indicates that another hunting operation in a backwarddirection must be performed. It is obvious that where the tape must bemoved backwardly on the start of a new hunting movement that a stopsignal, the one which had just been employed, will be immediatelyencountered. If that signal were allowed to become effective the resultwould be to test again a block number which has just been tested andtherefore no progress toward lower numbers could be made. Means aretherefore provided responsive to the result of a previously made testindicating that the next test must be made through a backward movementof a tape to ride over a rst stopping signal and to respond to a secondof such signals.

In accordance with this feature, when after a hunting movement a blocknumber is tested and it is found to be too high, then the huntingmovement will be started again in the conventional manner. However4 inthis instance the block number identification signal code before thenumber just tested instead of causing stoppage of the tape transmitterWill cause the operation of an over-riding relay which will close asubstitute path for maintaining the movement of the tape after the usualresponse has been made to such a code. This over-riding relay will thenallow the circuit to be set for another response to such a signal butwill itself remain operated so as not to interfere with such otherresponse.

The circuit may be likened to a trigger mechanism which must be latchedinto operating position. The encounter with a stop signal code trig- .Egers the circuit and brings the code carrying tape to a stop. When thetape is to be moved in a reverse direction however, the rst triggeraction is rendered ineffective and there is an automatic relatchingoperation preparatory to another and later trigger action which becomesnormally effective.

The drawings consist of sixteen sheets having eighteen figures asfollows:

Figs. 1 and 2 taken together with Fig. 1 placed above Fig. 2 form acombination schematic circuit diagram and a ow chart which will show thegeneral organization of the device in which the present invention isemployed and will indicate the direction of movement of the signalscontrolling the electrical operations thereof;

Fig. 3 is a schematic circuit diagram showing how one of the problemdata tapes used to supply information called for by routine orders, suchas the interpolator or one of the ballistic tapes, may be run at highspeed from block to block and then brought to a stop when a warningsignal is encountered; r

Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing how Figs. 5 to 14, inclusive, may beplaced to provide a schematic circuit diagram to explain the action ofthe three-digit adder used to control the movement of the interpolatorand ballistic tapes, in which:

Fig. 5 shows the circuits of the problem data tape` transmitter whichcontrols the setting of the three-digit `adder to a three-digit blocknumber which must be matched from another tape Such asithe interpolatortape;

Fig. 6 shows similar kcircuits for the master operational orders and`mathematical information, a plurality of registers in which themathematical information from the tapes or calculated by the calculatormay be stored temporarily and control circuit from which routineoperational 5 a printing device also of the type commonly used ordersare issued; in the printing telegraph art for recording vari- Fig. 7shows the addend (Bi) portion of the rst ous items of information,`including the arguor U order of the said three-digit adder; ments ofthe problems, `partial results .and the Fig. 8 shows the addend (B)portion of the nalisolutions. second or V order of the said three-digitadder; 10 In Fig. 1 there iS ShOWILa master COIltlOl tape Fig. 9 showsthe addend (B) portion of the transmitter |0| which is used to transmitoperthird or W order of the said three-digit adder; ational orders froma so-called routine tape into Fig. l0 shows the circuits of theinterpolator the master control circuit |06., Whlch has glntapetransmitter which must be run either foreral control over all theOperat101l$-0fthe deVlCewardly or backwardly at high speed until a blockOther `similar transmitters are the interpolator number is found whichwill match the block tape transmitter |02,the ballistic data tapetransnumber set up on the addend elements of the mttelS |03 and |04 Mldthe DI'OblBmdata tape three-digit adder from the problem data orargutransmitter |05, each Wlth its Control olroult A11 ment tape; i ofthese transmit mathematical information from Fig. l1 is a controlcircuit by which the various 20 appropriate tapes and all 0f thlSllfolmatlon 1S Carry in leads to the three dlglt adder may begenerically problem data. That provided by the controlled so that theblock number in the iriproblem data tape constitutes the arguments ofterpolator tape will bear a selected relation to the problem that fromthe lotolpoloto tape oon' the block number designated by the problemdata SttllteS COX'Iela-ted 01 empllcal data andthat tape; from theballistic tapes constitutes table infor- Fig l2 Shows the augend (A)portion Gf the mation or precalculated data such as is usually mst or UOrder of the Said three (llglt adder; found in `the so-called tables offunctions such Shows the aug-end Dorf/ion 0f the as trigonometric,logartvhnlc, and other second or V order of the said three-digit adder;Such data In the Operatl 0f this device the Fig. 14 Shows the augeml (A)portion of the 30 routine tape is operated cyclically, that is it runsthird or W Order of the Said threedlglt ach-ler; through its transmitterover one complete set of Fig l5 is block diagram sbg-,ving how pigs. lroutine vorders necessary for the calculation of a to lgJ inclusive, maybe placed to form a comfunction from one given argument or set ofarguplete shorthand schematic diagram of the calmonts The Problem datatopo usually Contains culating circuits of the three-digit adder; aseries of arguments and is moved forwardly step Fig. l5 Shows theCircuits which may be tmd by step under control of the master controlcirthrough the Conf-,acts of the relays of the U or cuit, the mastertape operating through one cycle hundreds order of the three-digitadder; for each argument The remaining tapes c011- Fig. 17 shows thecircuits which .may be traced tom nooossol'y information and may bemoved through 'the contacts of the V or tens order of 40 from point topoint either forwardly o1" back' the three-digit adder; and Wardly totransmit information called for by the Fig. 18 shows the circuits whichmay be traced masterv Control from time t0 time during the calthroughthe contacts of the W or units order of Cu|atmg Operatlolsi thethree-digit adder The calculator here generally shown as in- Thisapplication is one of a group of Seven eluded in the broken linerectangular H6, consists applications all based on the same arrangement`primarily Of OllI relay registers. the A register The Andrews-Vibbardapplication is a full and |28 constituting an augend element, the Bregscomplete disclosure and includes a disclosure of ter |29constituting an addend element and the the present invention,` the otherapplications in- C register |25 and D register |30 being used cludingthe present application being abbreviated alternatively as sum elements.All problems predisclosures of certain features of the complete sentedto the calculator are in the form of probdevice as follows: lems inmultiplication and the calculation is ac- Applicant Nsueler Filing DateSubject Andrews-Vibbard... 716,680 December l7,1946, AutomaticCalculator, Vibbard 716,827 `...do Contro Circuit, Patent No, fglll,granted March Juiey 716,793" -.d0 swinciiig control ssystem, Patent No.2,666,578, granted January 19, 1954. Cesareo 716,753 ,do Automatic CodeTranslating System, Patent No. ZlB, granted January Andrews 716,762---do oaiuiato'r sign contreien. cuit, Patent No. 2,679,977, granted.Tune l, 1954. Cesareo 716, 754 .do Automatic Calculator.

The device in which the present invention is incorporated is acalculator operated by electrical circuit change in which each newcircuit operation is dependent upon the successful completion of aprevious operation. It consists essentiallyof a calculating arrangement,a plurality of tape transmitters of the kind commonly used in printingtelegraph operation for entering both tually performed by summing thevalues registered at various times in the A and B registers. For thispurpose a set of multiplying relays |21 and a set of multiplier relays|33 are provided, by means of which a multiplicand operating themultiplying relays |27 may be multiplied by one digit at a time of themultiplier which operates 'the multiplier relays |33. There is provideda set of switching relays |3| for determining into which register the Cregister` |25 or the D register |30 the values in the A and B registersshall be summed. Values stored in the D register |30 may be transferredonly to the B register |29 by way of an inverter |32. This is a means bywhich the value being transferred from the D register to the B registermay be transferred as it is or in its complemental form. Values storedin the C register |25 may be transferred either to the A register ortransmitted out over the C multiple for transfer to any one of thevarious registers shown in Fig. 2.

The calculator ||6 is under general control of a steering circuit |2|which controls the Various steps in a multiplying calculation cycle.When a problem in division is presented, an additional circuit, thedivision steering circuit |22 is brought into action to make thenecessary changes and alterations in the calculating cycle. The cut-inrelays |20 ordered into operation by the master control circuit |06through the code distributing relays |03 operate to activate one decimaldenominational order at a time of certain registers which then transmitover the R multiple ||5 to operate the multiplier relays under controlof the steering circuit |2|. The division steering circuit, ordered intooperation over the path |24, besides modifying the calculation cycleprovides a supply of multiplier digits over the R multiple I5 to themultiplier relays |33 as trial quotient digits and transmits thecorrectly calculated quotient digits over the C multiple I The steeringcircuit essentially constitutes the means for controlling the pattern ofoperations throughout the calculation cycle. Since in problems inmultiplication this cycle is straightforward the steering circuitcomprises a string of relays which operate in sequence starting from anygiven selected point and ending at any given selected point, there beingin this embodiment three relays for each cycle and as many groups of.three as there will be cycles or shifts in columnar arrangement. In aproblem in division it is not possible to select the true quotient digitwithout trial and hence if a certain digit is tried and found to beunsatisfactory the otherwise orderly sequence in the operation of thesteering relays must be interrupted and the chain recycled. That isafter such an unsatisfactory trial the steering chain must be reenteredand another trial made. Hence the division steering circuit |22 is shownas a separate entity but one which operates in conjunction with themultiplying circuit |2|. Actually it operates in addition to theprincipal circuit |2|.

In making calculations by the device of the present invention thearguments of the problem are recorded in the problem data tape in groupsor blocks, each group or block containing complete information for thecalculation of one point on a curve or one set of corresponding pointson a related set of curves under one complete cycle of operations of theroutine or master tape. Certain empirical or correlated information isrecorded on another problem data tape in similar blocks and the blocksin each of these tapes are similarly numbered. In the present embodimentof the invention three-digit block numbers are employed so that theso-called problem data tape containing the arguments of the problem andthe so-called interpolator tape containing correlated information aresimilar in make up, each containing a plurality of blocks ofmathematical information serially numbered with the block numbersrecorded in these tapes each before the corresponding block ofinformation. In other problem data tapes, herein specifically calledballistic tapes, but generically known as table tapes, the informationis also recorded in blocks, each block preceded by a block number andthese block numbers being in serial order. The block numbers in thetable tapes bear no particular relation to the block numbers in theargument tape but do bear a relation to the arguments recorded thereinin that during the calculation the block numbers in the table tapes arederived by calculation in which the arguments are factors.

The device of the present invention is a means for determining when agiven tape has been moved to a wanted block of informationi Broadlystated, the wanted block number is entered in a three-digit adder andthe tape con-` taining the wanted information is moved until a blocknumber is encountered, whereupon a test of such block number is made bycalculation. That is, the complement of such encountered block number isalso entered in this three-digit adder and the two values are summed. Ifa zero is produced as a sum in each of the three decimal denominationalorders 0f the three-digit adder, then it is known that the numberscorrespond and that the wanted block number has been found. If anythingother than a zero is produced as the sum in any one or more of the threeorders of the adder, then it is known that the wanted block number hasnot been found. In such a case the value of the carry out from thehighest decimal denominational order of the three-digit adder isexamined to determine Whether the hunt for the wanted block number is tobe resumed in a forward direction because the number found is too low invalue or to be made in a rearward direction because the number found istoo high in value.

In Fig. 1 the three-digit adder used for the control of the interpolatortape transmitter |02 is part of the interpolator control circuit |09. Asimilar three-digit adder incorporated in and forming a part of theballistic data control circuit ||0 is used to control both the ballisticdata tape transmitter No. 1 here designated |04 and the ballistic datatape transmitter No. 2 here designated |03. It has been found expedienthere to use separate three-digit adders in each of these controlcircuits since the saving in time in hunting justies this expense.however, that a single adder ofthis nature may be used in common by aplurality of transmitter control circuits, as indeed such an arrangementis shown where the adder in the ballistic data control circuit l0 isused in common by the two ballistic transmitters |03 and |04.

In the following description, the operation of the three-digit adder inthe capacity of a testing device is set forth in detail.

Fig. 3 is a schematic circuit diagram showing certain details of theinterpolator control circuit and shows the manner in which theinterpolator or any other tape containing precalculated or knowninformation is moved at high speed until a warning signal is received tothe effect that the next three codes (in a forward direction) constitutea block number. For this purpose a five hole code constitutes a datapoint symbol and it is immaterial whether the tape is moving forwardlyor backwardly, since the effect is to stop such high speed movement' (ineither direction) and to start a slow speed step-by-step movement in aforward or normal direction during which` It is contemplated

